Help me to read again!

[SnowyPheasants]

I love books, they have always been a huge part of my life, and before the internet (I am nearly 50) I could spend hours each day absorbed in reading, from philosophy to fiction to whatnot.

I still buy books, but they seem to pile up. I love them, anticipate them, but find that most of my 'downtime' ends up on the internet. I know, we all know, it's easy, accessible and enjoyable, but I dearly miss the space and pace that reading in real life gave me, that slowing, introspection; without links, opinions and distractions. Where you can just lose yourself in wonder and learning. For some reason, this effect just doesn't materialise using the internet, at all, no matter how vast and fabulous.

It sounds ridiculous, as I haven't changed at all, but if I am not working or creating, I just chill out online, especially youtube, watching my favourite tv or reading websites that pique my interest.

I want to get back to reading books, and right now I only do it on the bloody toilet! Like for 2 mins, so my experience is fractured. I now have one of those bathrooms full of stacked books, like a 90's hippie, which fragment and totter and never get fully read.

How do you make time for book reading, in the traditional sense? I don't care if it's paper or Kindle, I just want to read. It's pathetic of me not have not worked this out, but any tips or methods would be much appreciated!

I went from a book a week to hardly reading during a v stressful house move 9 years ago. I just completely lost my ability to focus on a book.
I restarted and back to a book a week 2 years ago and lockdown helped.
I restarted by reading psychological or domestic thriller type books - not too long, easy to read.

Re younger readers, DD 20yo reads various series of books - fantasy, romantic, thrillers - and always carries her kindle with her (even just around the house if she's home, if we are going out anywhere like shopping or in the car) and has read over 60 so far this year! She seems to get recommendations from tic tock

I read a book everywhere, I carry one around all the time. So, if I'm in the house, I read it while on the toilet, in the bath, while cooking, during ad if I'm watching tv, in bed, etc. If I'm out, I read it at any chance I get too.

I would start small. Don't go in pressuring yourself to read 2 hours a night, but build a little something into your day. Maybe just before bed, or 30 mins after lunch on a Sunday or something - tie it to something you already do.

I couldn't read for months after my mental health crashed. I got back to it slowly by doing colouring first, and then logic problem books, then short story books I'd read before. I think they got my concentration back a bit.

Also keep a reading list. You could start a 2023 list a bit early. Just write down what books you've read. I'm very slow, I only get through about 1 book a month, but it's 12 books a year better than nothing. Even at my pace it is nice to see the list building over the year and think actually, yes I have read all that.

I really identify with you OP, loads of unread times knocking about untouched. Would not have happened before Covid. The ridiculous thing about it is that I have become housebound, you would think that it would be easy to pick up a book, but no. So frustrating!

Thank you everyone, it's good to hear how others feel about it and managed to resolve it.
I will definitely set out small, begin with perhaps 1/2 an hour, it can't hurt, and hopefully will propel me forward.

It is interesting how many of you mention losing focus due to stress, or since covid. I hadn't looked at it like that. I can see how this might affect our attention or patience, or our ability to stay focused. You would think I should have had more time to read in the past 3 years, but it hasn't turned out that way. I wasn't anywhere near as creative either (I paint and draw). Perhaps we have found new ways to soothe ourselves? Those things are far more satisfying to me though, it is definitely worth the effort to push back in.
The internet is so undemanding, depending on what websites you frequent!

I have a few books lined up here, so shall begin tomorrow when I have a spare hour.

Lol, last week I was thinking about reading some short stories by Katherine Mansfield then found a dramatisation on youtube instead....I'm a lost cause

Goodreads sounds interesting, I will have a look at that.

I started reading at night before bed. Now I read more than I watch telly